Blackhawks Recall Drew Commesso, Reassign Isaak Phillips
The Chicago Blackhawks have made a surprising roster move calling up goaltender Drew Commesso while sending Isaak Phillips to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. Multiple outlets indicated that backup netminder Arvid Soderblom will be out of tonight’s action with an illness giving context to the transaction.
It’ll likely be a short-term stay for Commesso in Chicago given that Soderblom is only out with an illness. There’s no expectation he’ll get the first start of his career this evening but could feature in the game should Petr Mrazek‘s night not go according to plan.
It wouldn’t be the worst idea for the Blackhawks to give Commesso a tryout, especially against a struggling Nashville Predators offense. He’s arguably the top goaltending prospect for the Blackhawks after managing an 18-16-4 record with the IceHogs last year with a .906 save percentage and 2.65 goals against average including two shutouts. Unfortunately for Commesso, there’s a narrow pathway to getting the full-time callup in Chicago with Mrazek and Soderblom providing solid play in the crease to start the season and Laurent Brossoit recovering from an injury.
Phillips finds himself on the other side of this transaction for the third time this season. He hasn’t suited up for the Blackhawks yet this season as the team’s seventh defenseman and has only featured in one game for Rockford. He may no longer have a long-term spot on the Blackhawks blue line but it would be best for his development if he could spend a decent chunk of time in a consistent role.
Blackhawks Notes: Toews, Draft Picks, UFAs, Goalies
Aside from drafting their next franchise center at the end of the month, the biggest storyline in the Chicago Blackhawks’ offseason is what the future holds for his predecessor, captain Jonathan Toews. A return to the Blackhawks has seemed very unlikely for some time, given how the end of the season went. Still, speculation around a return, given the impending entrance of Connor Bedard, has been a topic of discussion.
According to The Athletic’s Scott Powers, Toews is expected to be announced in the coming weeks to announce a decision regarding retirement or a potential move to another team in free agency. Toews, 35, took a leave of absence prior to the 2020-2021 season due to Chronic Immune Response Syndrome, which, along with some effects of long COVID, caused him to miss a stretch of games near the end of 2022-23 as well.
Should Toews choose to hang up his skates, it would mark the end of a notable career that includes three Stanley Cup championships and numerous accolades but a debatable reputation as a captain stemming from the sexual assault scandal that occurred during the team’s 2010 championship run. After completing his eight-year, $84MM contract extension signed in 2014, Toews will surely generate some interest from teams looking to fill out their middle six if he does decide to try and extend his career.
More from Powers on the Blackhawks this morning:
- In regards to their second first-round pick in the upcoming draft, 19th overall, the Blackhawks have a handful of players they’re hoping will still be available to them – and they’re likely to select a second forward to supplement Bedard. Among the prospects at the scouting combine, forwards Colby Barlow, Oliver Moore, Calum Ritchie, Matthew Wood, and Brayden Yager are potential options for the Blackhawks. Additionally, the team has shown interest in 6-foot-5 Russian forward Daniil But, and general manager Kyle Davidson expressed a lack of hesitancy to Powers around selecting Russian players in this year’s draft. Looking ahead to the team’s four second-round picks, goaltender Adam Gajan, forwards Otto Stenberg and Bradly Nadeau, as well as defensemen Oliver Bonk and Andrew Strathmann are potential considerations for the Blackhawks.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have made their decision regarding pending unrestricted free agents, says Powers, signaling that after re-signing Andreas Athanasiou, the team is unlikely to bring back any of their other UFAs. Players such as Jujhar Khaira and Alex Stalock, among a few others, will explore options elsewhere as the Blackhawks prioritize their roster composition to provide opportunities for younger players and build out some higher-end support for Bedard via free agency.
- Davidson also indicated to Powers that Arvid Soderblöm and Petr Mrazek are expected to form the team’s NHL goaltending tandem for the upcoming season. Speaking about the young goalies, Davidson emphasized Soderblöm’s potential and the development aspect of their decision-making process so as to not rush their other prospects. Soderblöm, who has already spent time as a North American pro (and played pro in Europe), holds an experience advantage over other prospects like Jaxson Stauber and Drew Commesso.
USA Hockey Announces First 22 Players For 2023 Worlds
The first 22 players that will compete for Team USA at the upcoming IIHF World Hockey Championship have been named, with an interesting mix of NHL experience and college excitement.
Lane Hutson is the youngest player in the group at just 19 years old, and he’ll be sharing the ice with 35-year-old Nick Bonino, the oldest. General manager Chris Clark released the following:
The depth of our player pool is reflected with our team and we’re excited about the group we have to represent our country at the world championship. We’ve got a great mix of experience and youth and most of our players have represented the U.S. before and know what it takes to be successful at a world championship.
The team will start training on Saturday in Munich, before a pre-tournament game on Tuesday. The tournament schedule for the U.S. begins next Friday, against Finland.
Here’s a look at the 22 players that have made the team so far:
G Casey DeSmith
G Drew Commesso
G Cal Petersen
D Henry Thrun
D Connor Mackey
D Ronnie Attard
D Dylan Samberg
D Scott Perunovich
D Lane Hutson
D Nick Perbix
F Samuel Walker
F Drew O’Connor
F Luke Tuch
F Nick Bonino
F T.J. Tynan
F Cutter Gauthier
F Sean Farrell
F Anders Bjork
F Matthew Coronato
F Conor Garland
F Alex Tuch
F Carter Mazur
Chicago Blackhawks Sign Drew Commesso
The Chicago Blackhawks are adding an impressive goaltending prospect to the organization. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Drew Commesso will turn pro and sign his three-year entry-level contract. Charlie Roumeliotis of NBCS Chicago confirms that the deal will start in 2023-24.
Commesso, 20, just finished his junior season with Boston University, helping lead the Terriers to the Frozen Four. In 34 appearances this year, the 2020 second-round pick posted a 24-8 record and .913 save percentage, continuing what has been an incredible few years.
In 2021, Commesso was included on the US World Championship squad as the extra goaltender, taking home a bronze medal without appearing in a game. He played at the Olympics the following year, posting a perfect 2-0 record with a .964 save percentage.
As a prospect, he ranks among the game’s best in net, and immediately gives the Blackhawks a legitimate “goalie of the future” to develop. With the complete teardown still in progress, it will be years before Chicago is expected to contend. That gives Commesso plenty of time to hone his skills in the minor leagues, where he’ll likely spend all of next season.